Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973, a fast growing cyanobacterial chassis for biosynthesis using light and CO₂

Sci Rep. 2015 Jan 30:5:8132. doi: 10.1038/srep08132.

Abstract

Photosynthetic microbes are of emerging interest as production organisms in biotechnology because they can grow autotrophically using sunlight, an abundant energy source, and CO₂, a greenhouse gas. Important traits for such microbes are fast growth and amenability to genetic manipulation. Here we describe Synechococcus elongatus UTEX 2973, a unicellular cyanobacterium capable of rapid autotrophic growth, comparable to heterotrophic industrial hosts such as yeast. Synechococcus UTEX 2973 can be readily transformed for facile generation of desired knockout and knock-in mutations. Genome sequencing coupled with global proteomics studies revealed that Synechococcus UTEX 2973 is a close relative of the widely studied cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, an organism that grows more than two times slower. A small number of nucleotide changes are the only significant differences between the genomes of these two cyanobacterial strains. Thus, our study has unraveled genetic determinants necessary for rapid growth of cyanobacterial strains of significant industrial potential.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Biosynthetic Pathways* / genetics
  • Carbon Dioxide / metabolism*
  • Chromosome Mapping
  • Genome, Bacterial
  • INDEL Mutation / genetics
  • Light*
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Open Reading Frames / genetics
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / genetics
  • Proteomics
  • Synechococcus / cytology
  • Synechococcus / genetics*
  • Synechococcus / growth & development*
  • Synechococcus / ultrastructure
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Carbon Dioxide

Associated data

  • GENBANK/CP006471
  • GENBANK/CP006472
  • GENBANK/CP006473